Air blower having a raised column therein to reduce air flow pressure change and noise

ABSTRACT

An air blower includes a base having a raised column, an arcuate recess between an inner face of the base and an outer periphery of the column and a bottom nozzle, a fan assembly mounted on top of the raised column to generate air flow and having a conical top face, and a cap securely combined with the base and having a top nozzle combined with the bottom nozzle to form an outlet so that the air flow generated by the fan assembly is first directed to the inner face of the cap and then spiraled downward along the raised column to escape the outlet via the arcuate recess.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an air blower, and more particularly toan air blower having therein a raised column formed on top of a base formounting thereon a fan assembly such that pressure change as well asnoise is reduced.

2. Description of the Prior Art

A conventionally available air blower generally has a fan assemblymounted inside a casing to stir air flow inside the casing. Once the airis stirred, the air flows directly from the air outlet of the airblower. Since the air flows directly out of the air outlet, the airpressure measured at the air outlet is large. Therefore, an air bloweras such is often used in the drying process in a fabrication procedureor a heating process to boost the volume of air supply.

Respiratory devices are normally provided with an air blower toconstantly provide oxygen to whoever in need. When the foregoing airblower is equipped to the respiratory device, the patient using therespiratory device will experience difficulty in breathing in that thepressure of the air flow is so strong that the patient is not able tocomfortably exhale or inhale. Furthermore, the noise generated by theair blower is so loud that the patient who is a long-term respiratorydevice wearer suffers mentally and physically.

To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention tends to provide animproved air blower to mitigate the aforementioned problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an improvedair blower to maintain pressure change within a predetermined range andto reduce noise.

In order to accomplish the aforementioned objective, the air blower ofthe present invention includes a base, a fan assembly and a cap. Thebase has a column integrally formed on top of the base, an arcuaterecess formed between an outer periphery of the column and an innerperiphery of the base and a bottom nozzle formed on a side face of thebase to communicate with the arcuate recess. The fan assembly issecurely mounted on a top face of the column and has a conical top faceand a flat bottom face with which the fan assembly is securely connectedto the top face of the column. The cap has a ventilation opening, a topnozzle corresponding to the bottom nozzle and a flared top facecorresponding to the conical top face of the fan assembly. Due to theflared top face of the cap and the conical top face of the fan assembly,operation of the air blower is quiet and air flow pressure is constant.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention willbecome more apparent from the following detailed description when takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the air blower of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the air blower with the cap removed; and

FIG. 3 is a schematically cross sectioned view of the air blower of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to FIG. 1, it is noted that the in accordance with thepresent invention include a base (10), a fan assembly (20) and a cap(30).

The base (10) has a column (11) integrally formed on top of the base(10), an arcuate recess (12) formed between an outer periphery of thecolumn (11) and an inner periphery of the base (10) and a bottom nozzle(13) formed on a side face of the base (10) to communicate with thearcuate recess (12).

The fan assembly (20) is securely mounted on a top face of the column(11) and has a conical top face (21) and a flat bottom face (22) withwhich the fan assembly (20) is securely connected to the top face of thecolumn (11). Multiple blades (23) are mounted between the conical topface (21) and the flat bottom face (22).

The cap (30) has a ventilation opening (31), a top nozzle (32) formed ona side face of the cap (30) and communicating with an interior of thecap (30) and corresponding to the bottom nozzle (13) and a flared topface (33) integrally formed on top of the cap (30) and corresponding tothe conical top face (21) of the fan assembly (20).

With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 and still using FIG. 1 for reference, itis noted that when the air blower of the present invention is assembled,the fan assembly (20) is mounted on the top face of the column (11) ofthe base (10) via a threaded bolt (A). Due to provision of a bearingdevice, the fan assembly (20) is rotatable relative to the column (11)of the base (10). Thereafter, the cap (30) is combined with the base(10) to enclose the fan assembly (20) as well as the column (11). Afterthe combination between the cap (30) and the base (10) is finished, thetop nozzle (32) and the bottom nozzle (13) are combined to become anoutlet (B). Again, due to the conical top face (21) of the fan assembly(20), a distance (H) between the conical top face (21) of the fanassembly (20) and an inner face of the flared top face (33) of the cap(30) is between 0.3-15 mm. Also, the blades (23) of the fan assembly(20) are facing the inner face of the cap (30) and away from the outlet(B).

Because of the raised column (11), air flow stirred by the operation ofthe fan assembly (20) first is directed to the inner face of the cap(30). Then following the inner face of the cap (30), the air flowspirals downward along a space between the outer periphery of the column(11) and the inner face of the cap (30). Eventually the air flow escapesfrom the outlet (B) via the arcuate recess (12).

Because the air flow is first directed to the inner face of the cap(30), pressure of the air flow out of the outlet (B) is smooth.Furthermore, when the air blower of the present invention is used with arespiratory device and the patient is constantly exhaling, the patientwill have no difficulty in exhaling. That is, due to the smooth pressureof the air flow out of the outlet (B), the air exhaled by the patientwill be easily ventilated from the ventilation opening (31) and thepressure change of the outgoing air flow caused by the exhaled air bythe patient is within a limited range. Thus the air flow pressure changeis maintained within a previously determined range.

Still further, because the air flow is directly to the inner face of thecap (30) and the distance between the conical top face (21) and theinner face of the flared top face of the cap (30), the noise associatedwith the operation of the fan assembly (20) is low.

It is to be understood, however, that even though numerouscharacteristics and advantages of the present invention have been setforth in the foregoing description, together with details of thestructure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrativeonly, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape,size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention tothe full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms inwhich the appended claims are expressed.

1. An air blower comprising: a base having a raised column integrallyformed on a top face of the base, an arcuate recess defined between aninner face of the base and an outer periphery of the column and a bottomnozzle; a fan assembly firmly mounted on top of the raised column togenerate air flow and having a flat bottom face with which the fanassembly is securely connected to the raised column; and a cap securelycombined with the base to enclose therein the fan assembly and thecolumn, the cap having a top nozzle combined with the bottom nozzle toform an outlet so that the air flow generated by the fan assembly isfirst directed to the inner face of the cap and then spiraled downwardalong the raised column to escape the outlet via the arcuate recess. 2.The air blower as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fan assembly has aconical top face and cap has a flared top face corresponding to theconical top face of the fan assembly.
 3. The air blower as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the fan assembly has a conical top face and cap has aflared top face corresponding to the conical top face of the fanassembly and a distance between the conical top face of the fan assemblyand an inner face of the flared top face of the cap is between 0.3-15mm.
 4. The air blower as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fan assemblyhas multiple blades away from the outlet.
 5. The air blower as claimedin claim 2, wherein the fan assembly has multiple blades between theconical top face and the flat bottom face and the blades are away fromthe outlet.
 6. The air blower as claimed in claim 3, wherein the fanassembly has multiple blades between the conical top face and the flatbottom face and the blades are away from the outlet.